Ford announces scrappage scheme for vehicles registered before end 2009

Ford has announced a car and van scrappage scheme in a bid to get users to junk older polluting vehicles and boost its sales in the UK's flagging car market.

While similar schemes were launched by other manufacturers, including Vauxhall and BMW, this year, Ford's offer is different in that it lets customers trade in and scrap any brand of older vehicle for at least £2,000.

Any vehicle registered before the end of 2009, with a pre-Euro V standard engine, is covered under the scrappage incentive against a range of Ford vehicles, up to £7,000 for purchasing a Transit van.

Ford's Fiesta is the UK's bestselling car, while its Transit Custom is the country's best selling van.

Following years of steady growth based on cheap financing deals, UK car sales have fallen, with a 9 per cent downturn in July due to a squeeze on lending and fears around Brexit.

Manufacturers in Germany are also offering large incentives to trade in the most polluting older diesels over air pollution concerns, heightened by the VW emissions scandal.

Andy Barratt, chairman and managing director of Ford of Britain, said, ''Ford shares society's concerns over air quality. Removing generations of the most polluting vehicles will have the most immediate positive effect on air quality, and this Ford scrappage scheme aims to do just that,'' The Guardian reported.

Speaking on BBC's Today, Barratt, said its scrappage scheme "is part of a journey" to improve air quality.

"We have some pretty large incentives here, up to £7,000 if you have a commercial transit vehicle," he said.

"We're the only scheme open to commercials. It is part of a journey.

"Air quality is a much bigger debate and getting older vehicles off the road is part of that.

"New technology, such as plug-in hybrids etc, are all part of that longer journey we need to work together."